Oxford Plains Speedway and the Pro All Star Series announced their 2017 “Road to the Oxford 250” schedule. The big race is August 27th.

Winners at events at Orange County Speedway, Quebec’s Autodrome Montmagny, New Brunswick’s Speedway 660 and a July 2nd race at Oxford Plains will receive guaranteed starting spots for the 44th annual Oxford 250.

Last August, Morrill’s Travis Benjamin had a great shot to join Dave Dion, Ralph Nason and Mike Rowe as the only three-time winners of the Oxford 250.

But Wayne Helliwell Jr. of Dover, New Hampshire, took the lead with six laps remaining when Benjamin got hung up behind a lapped car and held off Benjamin for the win.

Benjamin began building momentum for this year’s 44th annual Oxford 250, which will be held on Aug. 27, by winning the Pro All-Stars Series Super Late Model 150-lapper at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday night.

...Maine-based Scott’s Recreation will join with Utah-based Fastway Trailer Products to sponsor the prestigious race, which will air nationwide (tape-delayed) on MAV TV.

The Scott’s Recreation Oxford 250, presented by Fastway Trailer Products will take place on August 25-27 and will pit the best short track racers in North America against one another, with over $25,000 going to the winner.

“This is a great day for the Oxford 250 to have two great new partners join us for North America’s greatest short track race,” Oxford Plains Speedway owner Tom Mayberry said in a news release. “Scott’s Recreation is a company all of us in Maine are proud of and they have stepped up in a big way with their support of this year’s 250.

Reid Lanpher on short list of Oxford 250 favorites2-time PASS winner and Beech Ridge point leader finished 2nd in 2015.

...This week, the 19-year-old’s name is on the short list of favorites to win Sunday’s 44th annual Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway. It’s been a quick ascension for Lanpher, of Manchester, one he’s still not sure he’s used to.

“It’s hard to get used to the fact that people are probably watching me a little more than they have in the past,” Lanpher said. “The biggest thing is not letting it alter what we do.”

His crew chief has seen Lanpher mature, both on and off the track, and he’s convinced that his driver is capable of just about anything behind the wheel.

(Oxford) Maine native Derek Kneeland who serves as a spotter for Kyle Larsen's Cup team will be trying to qualify for Sunday's Oxford 250. Kneeland will practice on Friday. He hopes to first get a good draw for the heat races!

OXFORD (WGME) -- The 44th annual Oxford 250 will go green this Sunday over at Oxford Plains Speedway, and this year before the race, fans may hear the track announcer say, "Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!"

“I'm very happy with the way this year's 250 weekend is coming together,” PASS founder and track owner Tom Mayberry said. “I think we'll end up with about 65 cars attempting to qualify, and we'll start between 42 and 44 cars in the 250. It should be a very exciting, competitive race on Sunday.”

“The one thing we learned was not to become money-hungry,” said Helliwell, of Pelham, New Hampshire.

“(Two years ago) we were leading laps and thought we were good enough that when two of the caution flags came out, we could hang in for a little bit longer and make some money. Ultimately it bit us in the (butt). We almost ran out of fuel. A caution came out, but it put us so far back that we couldn’t mount that charge back up through.”

In addition to the $25,000 purse for the winner, the race pays $100 per lap for leading.